Word of the Day: Anagnorisis

Word of the Day: Anagnorisis

In this series, I will take the Word of the Day from Dictionary.com and craft a short piece of creative writing around it.  My goal is to embrace the meaning of the word in some unique way, all the while trying out different styles, rhythms and characterizations.  It is as much an exercise in creativity as it is an exploration of grammar. Enjoy!

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Anagnorisis

By Alex Seise

This morning, I had the starkest of realizations as I stirred a thick ribbon of cream into my coffee. The birds chattered outside as the wind wisped among the tree branches heavy with red and green buds. I watched the scene outside unfold, twisting the spoon delicately through the caffeinated concoction. It was a moment of happiness. As the birds and wind sang a duet, a shape among the tree trunks moved and a feeling of unparalleled anagnorisis washed over my limbs.

The sentiment was chilly and unsettling, like the whistles and chirps outside which morphed from a brilliant aria into a prickly dirge. The timbre of the sounds themselves had not changed; their accompaniment, however, had. The tone made all the difference.

The beast had undoubtedly come to settle the debt we’d agreed upon many years before. But I was not ready to pay my due; I resolved to grovel for more time. If begging failed, I would resort to more drastic measures. I slipped a small vial of blessed water I kept in the cutlery drawer into one jean pocket, and a sharp steak knife into my shirt sleeve on the opposite side. Then, leaving my steaming coffee on the counter, I walked to the door, turned the lock and allowed the wind to push it open.

Head on, I thought to myself. Head on.

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